OHIO Grant goes to graduate student for amphibian-habitat research

The study will find possible habitat, then see if the species actually are present.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) -- A project to find out where rare amphibians live could help map out the homes of several endangered species in Ohio, researchers say.
Gregory J. Lipps Jr., a graduate student at Bowling Green State University, received a $23,039 grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the project. It's the largest grant among more than $120,000 in federal money the state is giving to local projects.
Lipps plans to use computers and satellite technology to track soil conditions, forest cover, water supply and other conditions that indicate habitat for species such as the green salamander. Then he'll visit the locations to see if the salamanders actually live there.
The endangered amphibian was found in just seven locations in Adams and Lawrence counties during 2002, according to a DNR report.
"I'm concentrating on amphibians, but I think it could be used for all groups of animals," Lipps said.
The project will be the basis of the master's thesis for the Cincinnati native and former Toledo zoo worker.
Additional efforts
Other grants went to efforts to create a recovery plan for Lake Erie water snakes, track habits of the endangered Indiana bat and preserve a stream home to native Ohio brook trout.
The local projects are funded through $1.7 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, most of which covers ongoing DNR research efforts.
Kendra Wecker, wildlife diversity coordinator for the Division of Wildlife, said knowing more about amphibian habitats will help with landscape and urban planning.